DEC. 8, 2003
UPDATED FEB. 17, 2004
UPDATED JUNE 7, 2004

BOOKS
The DaVinci Code: Fact, fiction and belief

What happens when fast-paced fiction, fact and religion mix? A potent thriller called The DaVinci Code, which debuted on best-seller lists when it was published in early 2003 and has stayed there since. Author Dan Brown's novel, which he says he based on research, has inspired intense debate about Jesus, church hierarchy and the role of women in Scripture. With more than 7.5 million copies in print, the book has drawn readers, scholars and clergy into discussion about early Christianity, where secret groups, little-known texts and heretical beliefs mingle.

The imaginatively plotted novel supposes a marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene that eventually produced a royal bloodline in early France. Brown says he based the book on research, and indeed, many scholars are studying the role of Magdalene and "the sacred feminine." But the novel, while highly praised as a great read, has been criticized on several fronts. Roman Catholics say it is unfair and inaccurate in descriptions of church hierarchy and the Catholic society Opus Dei. Some scholars say it misleads by presenting fiction mixed with fact, and others attack it for promoting unorthodox beliefs. The DaVinci Code has stirred so much interest that books on the subjects it treats are selling well, and it's inspired new books that seek to sort the facts from the fiction.

Why it Matters
Pop culture - through books, movies, television and theater - has shown great power to inspire interest and debate about religion. The resulting discussions have left people curious about religious history and Scripture and have drawn scholars into efforts to explain, debunk, argue and clarify what is authoritative.

Questions for reporters
• Are local book groups reading it? Are they interested in exploring how much of the author's use of history is fact or fiction?
• What do local religious educators and clergy say about the book's idea that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married?
• The DaVinci Code explores ideas about the "sacred feminine" and gives the figure of Mary Magdalene significance for Christians. Are men and women reacting differently to this book?
• Are people reading the book because it's a good thriller, or are they drawn to the idea of "the sacred feminine?" What do they think about various denominations' limits on the roles women can play in congregational life?
• What do religious leaders of different traditions say about how pop culture can engage people in theological questions or influence their beliefs?
• Some critics have called the book misleading because it purports on an introductory page to be based on facts and research, though the book is labeled a novel and clearly includes some ideas that are not fact. What do local readers think about how much a work of fiction can draw on history without clarifying which is which?
• Has The DaVinci Code caused fans to read other books - particularly nonfiction - on similar issues?
• Doubleday's readers' guide asks, "Has this book changed your ideas about faith, religion, or history in any way?" Do readers and clergy think a popular fiction book should have that kind of influence?

Skip to background

Click the map for interview sources in your state and region

National sources

• Elaine Pagels is the author of the best-selling Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas (Random House, 2003) and a professor of religion at Princeton University. She has written a number of well-received books on gnosticism, an early Christian movement considered heretical, and early Christianity. Contact epagels@Princeton.EDU, 609-258-4484.
• Karen L. King is the author of the recently published The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle (Polebridge Press, 2003). A scholar of gnosticism, the body of nonorthodox early Christian teachings, and a professor of ecclesiastical history, she appeared on a Nov. 3, 2003, ABC television special exploring the claims of the novel about Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Contact 617-496-3398. Her assistant is Elizabeth Busky, 617-495-4265, elizabeth_busky@harvard.edu.
• Some Catholics are angry about the portrayal of Catholicism in the book, saying it is prejudiced. Linked to the novel's villains, the organization Opus Dei issued a statement Sept. 30 saying the book's characterization is "bizarre and inaccurate." Contact Opus Dei U.S. spokesman Brian Finnerty in New York, 212-532-3570, press@opusdei.org.
• Darrell L. Bock, professor of New Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary, says there is no evidence for the view that Jesus was married. He wrote a Counterpoint (posted by ABCNEWS.com) to the Nov. 3 television special about Jesus and Mary Magdalene and also wrote Breaking the DaVinci Code: Answers to the Questions Everyone's Asking (Thomas Nelson, 2004), examining the historical issues the book raises. The book has made Publishers Weekly's religion best-seller list. Contact Bock, 214-841-3715, dbockdts@aol.com.
• Ben Witherington III is a professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky., who has written extensively about early Christianity and the historical Jesus, including co-authoring The Brother of Jesus: The Dramatic Story & Meaning of the First Archaeological Link to Jesus & His Family (Harper SanFrancisco, 2003). He says that in a culture that is biblically illiterate, almost anything can pass itself off as historical information. His book The Gospel Code: Novel Claims About Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Da Vinci is due in July from InterVarsity Press. Contact 859-858-3581, ben_witherington@asburyseminary.edu.
• Anne McGuire teaches religion at Haverford College. She specializes in research on the Nag Hammadi ancient Christian texts and has taught courses on gnosticism and women in early Christianity. Contact 610-896-1028, amcguire@haverford.edu.
• CDS, a New York book distributor, published one of its first books, Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The DaVinci Code, edited by Connecticut-based journalist Daniel Burstein. The book, which compiles research on topics in Brown's novel, has gotten prominent shelving in bookstores and a spot on the best-seller list. Contact Burstein through David Wilk at CDS, 212-223-2969 ext. 108, dwilk@cdsbooks.com.
• The DaVinci Code refers to The Templar Revelation: Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince (Touchstone, 1998 first edition), which was reissued Jan. 13, 2004, as a result of interest in Brown's book. It is one of the top sellers at Amazon.com. The British co-authors specialize in the occult and historical mysteries. Contact book publicist Lisa M. Sciambra, 212-698-4665.
• James Garlow is pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, Calif., and a co-author of the forthcoming Cracking The DaVinci Code: Separating Fact from Fiction (Victor Books, May). Peter Jones, professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, Calif., is the other author. Jones, who is also director of the ministry Christian Witness to a Pagan Planet, says the book defends the Christian faith and criticizes the novel's promotion of spiritual seeking through altered states of consciousness. Contact Garlow, 619-660-5000; Jones, 760-480-8474.
• Amy Welborn wrote De-coding DaVinci: The Facts Behind the Fiction of The DaVinci Code (Our Sunday Visitor, 2004). The Indiana-based columnist for the Catholic paper Our Sunday Visitor, which offers a free pamphlet with a Catholic response to the book, maintains a blog. Contact amywelborn@yahoo.com.

Background

• Da Vinci Code film director Ron Howard told the Los Angeles Times May 5 that the movie is fiction, not theology, but it doesn't back away from the controversy the book created.

• DaVinci Code author Dan Brown is on a publicity hiatus and is working on his next novel, which will also feature the character of Harvard art scholar Robert Langford. Brown's web site includes book reviews and articles about the book. His publicist at Doubleday is Suzanne Herz, 212-782-9786, Sherz@randomhouse.com.
• Time magazine explored the surging interest in Gnostic Gospels in a package of cover stories in November 2003.
• Stories in Newsweek's Dec. 8, 2003, issue explore new scholarship on the role of women in Scripture and discuss what is fact and what is fiction in The DaVinci Code.
• In a Sept. 1, 2003, essay in the Catholic magazine Crisis, writer Sandra Miesel criticizes at length inaccuracies in the book. Catholic commentator, sociologist and novelist the Rev. Andrew Greeley reviewed the book Oct. 3 for the National Catholic Reporter, calling it deft but inaccurate. A June 6 Catholic News Service review calls the novel overwritten and overplotted.
• Scholars of early Christian history have been revising their understanding of the role of Mary Magdalene as a follower of Jesus and agree that she was not a prostitute but a disciple. But there remains disagreement about her importance in early Christianity. Beliefnet summarizes contrasting views expressed by scholars Ben Witherington III and Karen King.
• Read the text of the Gospel of Mary.
• ABC News aired a television news special Nov. 3, 2003, about some of the book's ideas about Jesus, Mary Magdalene and Christian history.
• The evangelical magazine Christianity Today has compiled a number of articles it has run that are critical of The DaVinci Code's portrayal of early Christianity.
• The faith-oriented online book club faithfulreader.com interviews authors who have written books about The DaVinci Code and reviews their books.